Signal device.



W. F. MAY. SIGNAL DEVICE.

APPLlCATION FILED APR.25| 1915.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

amvwwboz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. MAY, 0]? GRAPHITE, NEW YORK.

SIGNAL DEVICE.

Application filed April 26, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. MAY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Graphite, in the county of Warren and State of NewYork, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Signal Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in signal devices and hasparticular application to a signal device for railways whereby stalledtrains may be protected against collision with moving trains.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide asignal device which may be carried upon one of the cars of the train andwhich may be thrown from such car and embedded in the road bed wheneverit is desired to warn the engineer of a train approaching that fromwhich the signal device has been thrown.

It is also my purpose to provide a signal device which will beautomatically illuminated when embedded in the earth so that the signalwill be visible at night.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forthin and falling within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing; Figure 1 is aview' in side elevation of asignal device constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig.,2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view through the same.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, 1 designates the body of thesignal device, which body is preferably tubular in cross section andformed of inner and outer walls 2 and 3 respectively disposedconcentrically of each other and spaced apart and having the top andbottom ends thereof secured to each other to close the ends of the spacebetween the walls. Suitably secured in the tubular body 1 at one endthereof is a disk 4 formed centrally with an opening 5 and disposedwithin the body and resting upon the disk t is a ball 6 and secured tothe ball 6 and projecting outwardly therefrom through the opening 5 inthe disk is a spear 7. Threaded into the remaining end of the body 1 isa plug. 8 equipped with an outwardly projecting handle 9 and formed inthe plug 8 are outwardly diverging channels 10 opening into the spacebetween the inner and outer walls 2 and 3 of the body at dia-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.21,1915.

Serial No. 23,909.

metrically opposite points and secured to the inner end of the plug 8 atthe meeting ends of the channels 10 is a powder cap 11.

Secured within the space between the inner and outer walls 2 and 3 arecandles 12 or other appropriate illuminating devices havmg the wick endsthereof disposedimmediately adjacent to the outer-ends of the chan nels10 respectively.

In practice, the handle 9 is grasped and the device thrown so that thespear 7 will penetrate the earth and in the initial impact between thespear and the earth, the ball Ii precise details of construction hereindescribed and delineated, as modification and variation may be madewithin the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

1. In a signal device, a tubular body formed of inner and outer wallsspaced apart concentrically of each other, an illuminating devicebetween said walls, a spear on the lower end of said body adapted topenetrate the earth, and means operable from said spear incident to theimpact due to the spear entering the earth to light said illuminatingdevice.

2. In a signal device, a tubular body formed of inner and outer wallsspaced apart concentrically of each other, an illuminating devicebetween said walls, a spear on the lower end of said body adapted topenetrate the earth, and a powder cap adapted to be exploded from saidspear incident to the impact due to the spear entering the earth tolight said illuminating device.

3. A signal device comprising a tubular body formed of inner and outerwalls spaced apart concentrically of each other, an illuminating devicebetween said walls, aplug closing one end of said body and formed with achannel leading from the inner end thereof into the space between saidwalls and terminating contiguous to said illuminating device, a powdercap on the inner end of said plug, a ball in the remaining end of saidbody, and a spear carried by said ball and adapted to penetrate theearth and moving the ball into engagement with said powder cap, in theinitial impact due to the spear entering the earth, to explode the capso that the sparks from the powder will pass through said channel andignite said illu- .1C

minating device.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. MAY.

